Creamy Coconut Vegetable Medley with Tofu

Easy, savory, and definitely healthy vegan / plant-based recipe you can easily make at home!  In this recipe we will add a smoothly blended red bell pepper and tomato puree with fresh eggplants, green beans, firm tofu, and coconut milk.

We then mix this with a concoction of spices including cumin, coriander, and cayenne to give it the smell and color that we expect from a curry.

Adding veggie puree to your diet in addition to the amazing benefits of coconut milk is a surefire way of getting the most out of the nutritional goodness in vegetables.

With the caramelized onions adding flavor to this dish, this will surely be one of the easiest, healthiest and certainly tastiest plant-based / vegan dishes you can serve. Both your vegan and non-vegan friends will surely love this.

 RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

? For the Puree:

300g Tomatoes / 2 Cups / 2 medium tomatoes – chopped

200g Red Bell Pepper / 1+1/2 cup / 1 medium

Red bell pepper (Capsicum) – chopped

1/2 inch Ginger / 1/2 Tablespoon finely chopped

4 to 5 Garlic Cloves / 2 Tablespoons finely chopped

Other Ingredients:

3 tablespoon Cooking oil (I have used light olive oil)

200g / 1+1/2 Cup Onion – Finely chopped

1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander

1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper or to taste (You can use Indian chilli powder)

200g / 2 heaping Cups Eggplant (I have used the long chinese eggplant) – chopped into 1.5 inch pieces

200g / 2 Cups Green Beans – edges trimmed and chopped into 1.5 inch pieces

300g / 2 Cups Firm Tofu (I have used organic non-gmo firm tofu)

400ml / 1+3/4 cup Full Fat UNSWEETENED Coconut Milk

125ml / 1/2 Cup water

Salt to taste ( I have added total 1+3/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt)

METHOD:

Add the chopped tomatoes,

red bell pepper, ginger, garlic to a blender and blend it to a smooth puree. Set it aside. (PLEASE NOTE: Add only 1/2 tablespoon of ginger, if you add too much the dish will turn bitter)

To a heated pot add the cooking oil, onion, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and fry on medium to medium-high heat until the onion is soft and caramelized. Adding salt to onion/peppers will release its moisture and help it cook faster, so don’t skip it.

Now reduce the heat to low and then add the ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne and mix it. Right away the puree (we had made earlier) and give everything a good mix. Increase the heat to medium-low and bring it to a simmer. Once the puree starts to simmer, cover the lid and cook for about 12 minutes. You will notice specks of oil on top which means the puree is cooked perfectly.

Uncover and then add the chopped eggplant, green beans, firm tofu, coconut milk, water, and salt and give it a good mix. Bring it to a boil. Once it starts to boil and cook for about another 10 minutes on medium heat or until the eggplant is cooked to your liking. Uncover and give it a good mix. Now turn the heat to medium-high to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or to your desired consistency. Turn off the heat and give it one last mix. Serve hot with Rice, Naan or Roti.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

? Add only 1/2 tablespoon of ginger, if you add too much the dish will turn bitter

? Adding salt to onion will release it’s moisture and will help it cook/caramelize faster, so please don’t skip this step

? Fry the onion until it’s nicely caramelized, this will add a lot of flavour to the dish

? Reduce the heat before adding the spices, it will prevent from burning Enjoy!